Friday, May 5, 2017

Conception of a Sweet Romantic Series

Writing series romance was not something I planned to do.

When I wrote the first book in my Love by Chocolate series, I never imaged I would create a four book series plus one novella.

Somewhere in the first book I realized one of the minor characters, Chloe had a chocolate story to tell. Since the heroine in Chocolate Secrets, Alex an ER nurse had no intention of continuing on with the family business someone had to tell the next story. The chocolate was calling and Kooky Chloe was the one to tell it. Book 2, Chocolate Magic was born.

Chloe's life is a puddle of melted chocolate, but help is on the way. Alex is back and a new friend Maddie is introduced along with a sexy hero who has no time for chocolate. Maddie, a trained pastry chef has her own puddle to wade through. Book 3, Chocolate Muse became Maddie's story.

An editor once told me that the nice thing about reading a series in order is that the reader meets old friends when previous characters make a cameo appearance. Readers who have been introduced to characters also their share secrets. For readers who are picking up the book out of sequence a short paragraph intertwined into the story can explain their role in the hero or heroine's life.

The setting, a rejuvenated Brooklyn neighborhood was already there for Book 4 when I placed Lily's little pastry shop at 4 1/2 Smith Street. Chocolate Couture steps out of the setting and crosses the bridge opening the potential for a different backdrop for another story. I haven't gone there yet.

Doing chocolate research is the best part of writing a series where chocolate becomes a character. But what to do with all that info? That's how the idea for my novella, Chocolate and Sensibility came about.

Topical rainforest walk at Fairchild Gardens.

I took the information I had about chocolate production and set the story in the topics. The story belongs to Luis and Sophia, but it's a prequel to Lily's story.

When writing a stand alone story, I'm never sure where the story will take me. Imagine the places you can go when writing a series.